Hyundai Kona EV Gets Official Range Rating of 292 Miles

The range-topping version features a 64-kWh battery pack that provides 292 miles of range.

Hyundai Kona Electric

Keeping the funky looks while ditching the combustion engine, the Kona Electric is ready to bank on the growing demand for crossovers in a zero-emissions package. In an attempt to cater a wider audience and attract more customers, Hyundai has developed two types of powertrains, with different outputs, ranges, and of course, prices.

The entry-level Kona Electric features an electric motor good for 133 horsepower (99 kilowatts) and an instant torque of 291 pound-feet (395 Newton-meters). It comes with a 39.2-kWh battery pack with enough juice for a maximum range of 300 kilometers (186 miles) in the new Worldwide harmonized Light vehicles Test Procedure (WLTP), which is widely considered as being significantly more relevant than the outgoing New European Driving Cycle (NEDC).

Step up to the range-topping Kona Electric and Hyundai will reward you with 201 hp (150 kW) and the same amount of torque as the base model. Thanks to its much bigger 64-kWh battery, the electric crossover will have a range of up to 470 km (292 miles) as per WLTP.

Once the battery is depleted, it will take around 6 hours and 10 minutes to fully recharge the 39.2-kWh pack whereas the larger 64-kWh pack will need roughly 9 hours and 40 minutes. Thankfully, Hyundai has implemented a quick-charge facility for those in a hurry. Using the 100-kW DC fast charger, both flavors of the Kona Electric will “fill up” the batteries to an 80-percent level in just 54 minutes.

Hyundai Kona Electric

As far as performance is concerned, the base Kona Electric does the sprint to 62 mph (100 kph) in a decent 9.3 seconds. The beefier version completes the same task in 7.6 seconds, so it’s almost like a hot hatch. Both top out at 104 mph (167 kph).

If you’re worried the battery pack will eat into the available room inside, Hyundai mentions the Kona’s all-new platform has allowed the engineers to neatly integrate the battery packs without having a negative impact on cabin space. Without the charging cable, the trunk can swallow up to 373 liters of storage, while with the charging cable the number decreases to 332.

The styling has been largely carried over from the conventionally powered model, but there are a few subtle changes such as the exclusive 17-inch alloy wheels and the closed-off front grille. Hyundai has also tweaked the front bumper to make it more aerodynamic by implementing lateral air curtains to reduce turbulences in the wheel arch area. Silver side sills are also a telltale sign it’s the fully electric Kona, as is the roof-mounted spoiler mildly modified to further boost aero.

Inside the cabin, we notice the fully digital seven-inch instrument cluster and power front seats with 8-way adjustment as well as heating and ventilation functions. The driver’s seat comes with an extra 2-way electric lumbar support to find the ideal position behind the wheel, which can be optionally heated.

Hyundai will have the new Kona Electric – aka world’s first fully electric subcompact crossover – on display at the Geneva Motor Show beginning March 6.

According to some sources, the Kona Electric will land in the United States in the first half of 2019, carrying a base price of just under $40,000. It will be offered with only one battery option in the U.S., the larger 64-kWh one.

Nothing wrong with torque tube, don’t know why some people are portraying this as bad. OTOH double wish-bone front suspension is much superior to MacPherson strut common in most low cost vehicles. It’s not the type of spring (coil vs torque tube) that counts, it’s how it is implemented.

There’s a heck of a lot wrong with a torque tube suspension, esp. if you’re going to drive the car for 10 to 12 years. That’s a lot of punishment. Independent suspension or go home, especially for $40,000.

This could be a tough competitor for the Bolt, especially if GM is in the phase out period for the EV tax credit by then. That could give the Kona a $3750 – $7500 net price advantage. At any rate, 2019 is looking like a break out year for EVs.

Agreed. The Bolt is just not a compelling $40k car. It really needs to be in the $20-$25k range on MSRP after the tax credits are gone. And this is coming from someone that actually leases one. I love the car for what it is, and I’m amazed at the engineering that went into this car, but the seats and interior material quality is just crap. If I hadn’t gotten a steal on my lease (36x$300/mo for loaded Premier with 45k miles for 3 years), I wouldn’t dare buy one or lease one now at the shi**y rates they have. I didn’t put anything down, and I got rebates from the state, power company, and costco that made my total out of pocket less than $200/mo. For $7k for 3 years of driving, I can handle the Bolt’s shortcomings.

I recently sat in a gas powered Kona at the Toronto autoshow. And while the exterior dimensions of the Kona are very close to that of the Bolt EV it’s clear that the Kona had to make interior compromises to be designed to accommodate an ICE powertrain that the Bolt EV didn’t (and hence has less interior space [especially in back seat]). Also the gas powered Kona I sat in had one of the lowest cost interior’s I have ever seen. It made the Bolt EV’s interior feel premium in comparison. Though from the pictures the electric Kona does look better than the gas powered one.

The long-range 64kWh battery version provides a driving range of up to 470km, delivering a maximum output of 150kW. With a battery capacity of 39.2kWh, the basic version drives up to 300km on a single charge with the motor delivering 99kW. Both versions produce 395Nm of immediate torque and accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 7.6 seconds, reaching up to 167km/h. The Kona’s new platform enables space-saving integration of the lithium-ion polymer battery pack. Looking similar to the non-electric Kona, it has a closed grille and a dedicated interior centre console for intuitive operation of the shift-by-wire module for the electric powertrain. The new seven-inch supervision cluster provides relevant driving information, additionally the combiner head-up display projects it directly to the driver’s line of sight. The Kona Electric is a roomy, versatile car, making it suitable for everyday use, and it has a wide range of active Hyundai SmartSense safety features, Hyundai says. “By launching our all-new Kona Electric, we are pushing our ambitious eco car strategy forward,” Hyundai Motor Europe marketing and product vice-president Andreas-Christoph Hofmann says. A wide range of connectivity features are offered, such as the infotainment system which integrates navigation, media and connectivity features, like… Read more »

Is the Hyundai Kona electric the Tesla Model Y contender in price and range, and at least a year or two early? Can Hyundai sell 100k Kona EVs before Tesla gets the Model Y production up to 5k per week in 2021?

No, the Kona doesn’t line up with Model Y or Jag i-Pace. It’s too small. The exterior is identical in length and width to the Bolt. The cargo capacity is 24% smaller than the Bolt’s. It remains to be seen if that is due to poor packaging, or if Hyundai allocated a greater amount of interior volume to passenger comfort, as compared to the Bolt. Chevy will definitely be forced to lower their price, increase their range, or a little of both once the tax credit begins to phase out. Not entirely different than any other car, incl ICE…. technology advances, older models get upgrades or price decreases. Competition will be great for the consumer.

Smaller battery capacity option is what I wanted Chevy to offer with Bolt. Had they offered 40 kWh Bolt at $30K and/or 30 kW Bolt at $27K, it would’ve killed all competition from Nissan, VW, even the Kona. Heck, it could’ve seriously dented the sales of many hot-hatches.

$20K post subsidy for 30/40 kWh Bolt could’ve even eaten into Corollas and Cruze. Ok, now I see why they didn’t offer 30 kWh Bolts: eat into Cruze sales.

If a Leaf is using the CHAdeMO plug at a dual CCS/CHAdeMO station, the CCS plug can’t be used until the CHAdeMO session is finished. Same if a CCS car is charging first. There are many DCFC sites where there is only a single station with dual plugs.

“Fortunately” for them, the Leaf is pretty much the only car that still uses CHAdeMO. Of course, that doesn’t matter when someone else is already plugged in on the CCS side, but it’s almost like having a proprietary network.

GM is selling every Bolt it makes. Much like Tesla’s strategy with the 3, they’re trying to focus on max profits. The Bolt can’t have greater battery capacity than the Volt, at a lower price than Volt. No profit in that. I suspect a lower capacity/cheaper Bolt is coming in the next couple of years, probably for MY 2020, as the credits phase out and the Volt (as we know it) sunsets as well.

I’m with you… we all want more choices at more price points… they are coming. I was “forced” to buy a new 2018 Acadia because there’s no midsize CUV that is EV or PHEV available aside from the XC90 and Model X, both of which were far beyond my budget. By the time we’re ready to replace the Acadia, I hope the situation has changed.

Every car from every company is sold. That’s not saying much. Had Bolt been offered in lower price smaller battery, it would’ve sold many times more, probably eating sales of almost all Leaf, eGolf, i3, etc.

And it would’ve seriously dented Cruze, Elantra, Corolla, Prius, etc.; I mean, $20K post subsidy for 0-60 MPH in 6.5 seconds? I’ll take it! In fact, Cruze hatch would probably die if there was $20K post subsidy Bolt even with 30 kWh battery.

As for battery size, SparkEV has same battery size as current Volt, yet it was $26K MSRP. They could’ve squeezed out lower cost Bolt, but I suspect lots of politics went into not offering such.

Please keep in mind that GM is artificially limiting production of the Bolt. It is not because GM can’t sell enough, it is either because they don’t want to sell more or because LG doesn’t have the battery or electronics capacity

GM could easily sell the Bolt in Canada or Europe, but chooses not to. Why? I think it is because they lose too much money on the EV.

Equivalence is the problem. As a card carrying tree-hugger, I grudgingly put up with slow charging, and a non-existent charge network out here in the country. There is no solution for this currently, not even Tesla affords the speed and ubiquity that most folks insist on.

A step up from the Bolt EV but still not a real SUV/CUV. There is no mention of AWD or towing capacity. The Kona will probably sell well in Europe but it will probably be a few years before Hyundai actively sells them in the United States.

WLTP considered as being significantly more relevant than the outgoing New European Driving Cycle? If that clearly unrealistic 292 miles number from a 64KWh battery pack is any indication WLTP needs the same 30% correction factor as NEDC does to get a number that’s close to its EPA rating.

Maybe, maybe not…
The (very) few vehicles that I’ve seen have published WLTP numbers (it’ll be a requirement in Europe starting next year) seem to indicate it’s within 10% of the EPA ratings.
Also, it’s just possible Hyundai is paying a lot of attention to aerodynamics and light weight…
If the Ioniq Electric (BEV) gets 124mi of EPA range on 28kWh (usable), it’s not completely crazy that a Kona with 2.3x the battery capacity would get close to 2.3x the EPA range, which would be 285mi.

The Bolt kills it on performance and the Kona has a shi**y little screen that looks way too busy with knobs on it. Way too many buttons and knobs. They should have considered what makes sense for knobs and buttons and which ones would be better integrated into UI on a larger screen. The only thing I see better than the Bolt is the interior looks higher end. Bolt could fix that in future models and should. They also should have done a rear wheel drive. FWD sucks on electrics because of the high instantaneous torque.

I consider FWD to be highly desirable on any vehicle, especially good for snow. Only dragsters are concerned about front wheel traction, not normal drivers. For EVs, FWD has the added advantage of greater regen as braking is done mostly by the front wheels.

I recently sat in a gas powered Kona at the Toronto autoshow. And while the exterior dimensions of the Kona are very close to that of the Bolt EV it’s clear that the Kona had to make interior compromises to be designed to accommodate an ICE powertrain that the Bolt EV didn’t (and hence has less interior space [especially in back seat]). Also the gas powered Kona I sat in had one of the lowest cost interior’s I have ever seen. It made the Bolt EV’s interior feel premium in comparison. Though from the pictures the electric Kona does look better than the gas powered one.

Well, I guess it would be a good car for most people. But not my thing. What does bother me is the claimed range. If Hyundai wants to achieve 300km (186 miles) on 39 kWh, they will need better efficiency the. THe Ioniq, which is simply not possible. I just don’t see how they will achieve that range under WLTP. 13kWh/100km is a consumption I might achieve at 80kph with my i3. Not with an SUV at highway speeds. First see, then believe. I think 250km in summer, and 200 in winter is more realistic. My 2 Eurocents.

Awesome! This cannot come soon enough! It is so exciting to see all these new long range EVs enter the market! I hope they create a separate brand and a separate dealer network. In my experience, regular dealers loathe selling EVs!

I really wish they would make more of them as there seem to be enough people out there that actually want one of them!

Kind of like the Clarity BEV. While most people want to crap on it for it’s <100 mile range the lease deals they have on it make it worthwhile for some of us. There isn't one available in Southern California! Plenty of PHEVS but no BEVs.

Some would say the Kona is better looking. And Hyundai in the US will still qualify for the federal rebate. Even so, unclear when the Kona will get to the US. But it is going to Europe, where you can’t get a Bolt.